As of 2022, YouTube has over 2 billion active users worldwide. That’s a huge number, and it only continues to grow. As the world’s largest video-sharing platform, YouTube is a powerful tool for businesses, influencers, and individuals alike.
But with great power comes great responsibility. YouTube is a big platform, and there are a lot of things to consider when using it for business. That’s why we’ve put together this handy checklist of things to do (and not to do) when using YouTube for business.
Do: Optimize Your Videos for SEO
If you want your videos to be seen by as many people as possible, you need to optimize them for SEO. This means selecting the right keywords and including them in your video title, description, and tags. You should also include a link to your website in the video description so viewers can easily find your products or services.
Don’t: Ignore Your Thumbnails
Your thumbnail is the first thing people see when they come across your video, so it’s important to make a good impression. Make sure your thumbnail is high-quality and attention-grabbing. You should also include relevant keywords in the title so people know what your video is about before they even click on it.
Do: Engage with Your Viewers
YouTube is all about community. If you want to build a successful channel, you need to engage with your viewers. Respond to comments, ask questions, and start discussions. This will not only keep people coming back for more, but it will also help you get feedback and ideas for future videos.
Don’t: Post Irrelevant Content
It’s important to post content that is relevant to your brand and target audience. If you start posting videos that are off-topic, you’ll quickly lose viewers and subscribers. So, before you hit the publish button, make sure your video is on-brand and on-topic.
Do: Use Call-to-Actions
A call-to-action (CTA) is a statement or question that encourages people to take a specific action. CTAs are a great way to get people to subscribe to your channel, watch more of your videos, or visit your website. Make sure your CTAs are clear and concise, and always test different versions to see what works best.
Don’t: neglect your SEO
It’s important to put effort into your SEO, both on and off YouTube. This means optimizing your website for search engines as well as your YouTube videos. The better your SEO, the more likely people are to find your content and become viewers or customers.
Do: Use Annotations and Cards
Annotations and cards are a great way to add extra information to your videos without interrupting the flow of the content. You can use them to promote other videos, link to external websites, or include calls to action. Just make sure not to overdo it – too many annotations and cards can be distracting and overwhelming for viewers.
Don’t: forget about your title and description
Your title and description are important for two reasons. First, they help YouTube understand what your video is about so it can be properly indexed and ranked in search results. Second, they give viewers a glimpse of what your video is about before they even click on it. So, make sure to include relevant keywords and a compelling description that accurately reflects the content of your video.
Do: Use Keywords in Your Tags
YouTube allows you to include up to 500 characters in your tags, which is a great opportunity to include relevant keywords. This will help YouTube understand what your video is about and index it properly in search results. Just don’t go overboard – too many keywords will make your video look spammy and could get you banned from YouTube.
Don’t: Buy Views or Subscribers
There are a lot of companies out there that will sell you views or subscribers, but don’t be tempted. This is against YouTube’s terms of service and could get your account suspended. Plus, most of the views you buy are from fake accounts or bots, so they’re not even real people. It’s much better to focus on creating quality content and promoting it to the right audience.
Do: Collaborate with Other YouTubers
One of the best ways to grow your channel is to collaborate with other YouTubers. This can be anything from doing a guest appearance on someone else’s channel to hosting a giveaway or contest together. Collaborations are a great way to get exposure to new audiences and grow your channel quickly.
Don’t: Post Too Much or Too Little
It’s important to strike a balance with your posting schedule. If you post too much, you’ll overwhelm your viewers and they’ll start unsubscribing. But if you post too little, people will forget about you and you won’t grow your channel. So, find a happy medium that works for you and stick to it.
Do: Respond to Comments
YouTube is a two-way street – it’s not just about you posting videos, it’s also about engaging with your viewers. One of the best ways to do this is to respond to comments on your videos. This shows that you care about your audience and are interested in what they have to say.
Don’t: Post Irrelevant or Inappropriate Comments
When you’re commenting on other people’s videos, make sure your comments are relevant and appropriate. Otherwise, you could get banned from YouTube or even get your account suspended. So, take a few minutes to read the video description and other comments before posting anything.
Do: Create a Trailer for Your Channel
A channel trailer is a short video that gives viewers an overview of your channel and what they can expect to find. It’s a great way to introduce yourself and your content to new viewers and encourage them to subscribe. Just make sure your trailer is under 2 minutes long and includes a call-to-action at the end.
Don’t: Use Copyrighted Music or Images
If you use any copyrighted music or images in your videos, you could get in trouble with the law. So, it’s important to only use royalty-free or creative commons music and images. There are plenty of websites where you can find free music and images, so there’s no excuse to use anything that’s copyrighted.
Do: Optimize Your Thumbnails
Your thumbnail is like a mini-poster for your video – it should be eye-catching and give viewers an idea of what your video is about. So, take some time to create custom thumbnails that accurately reflect the content of your videos. You can even use free online tools like Canva to design professional-looking thumbnails with no design experience required.
Don’t: Use Clickbait Titles or Descriptions
Clickbait is when you use a misleading title or description to get people to click on your video. For example, you might use a title like “You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!” when your video is actually about something completely different. This is against YouTube’s terms of service and will only frustrate your viewers. So, just be honest in your titles and descriptions and let people know what to expect from your videos.
Do: Use Cards and End Screens
Cards and end screens are two features that you can use to encourage viewers to watch more of your videos. Cards pop up during your video and link to other videos or websites, while end screens appear at the end of your video and link to your other videos or channel. Both of these features are a great way to keep viewers engaged with your content and grow your channel.
Don’t: Buy Views or Subscribers
There are plenty of companies that will sell you fake views and subscribers, but don’t be tempted to use them. Not only is this a violation of YouTube’s terms of service, but it will also damage your reputation and could get your account suspended. So, just focus on creating great content and promoting your videos organically and you’ll be successful in the long run.